Collar support



May 25, 1937. v A. 0. LONG 2,081,242

' COLLAR SUPPORT Filed Dec.fl9, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY May 25, 193 7.

A. 0. LONG COLLAR SUPPORT Filed Dec. 19, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented May 25, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAR SUPPORT 6 Claims.

This invention relates to collar supports and particularly to those for supporting the collar of a folded shirt or similar garment in neat and orderly condition and to permitdelivery of a shirt to the customer with the neck-band unbuttoned.

When freshly laundered shirts are retained in folded position by fastening the buttons, the fastening operation results in wrinkling of the garment, consequently it is now best practice to' secure shirts in folded condition with fastening devices that do not necessitate buttoning of the buttons. However, difficulty has been encountered with theneck-band for the reason that such devices must of necessity be relativelyinexpensive andeasily installed with the result that the collars are insecurely fastened and are apt to become loosened and disarranged. These fastening devices are used in addition to the usual collar supports and therefore require handling of the separate members, and the fastening devices make difficult the installation of the collar supports by reason of their instability.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the present invention to provide means combined with a collar support for securely retaining the neckband in closed condition.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an article of this character which is inexpensive to manufacture, and which is capable of ready installation with a minimum of operations so as to avoid any chance of soiling the garment.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, as hereinafter pointed out, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a folded shirt equipped with a combination neck-band fastening means and collar support embodying the features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the neck-band fastening means and collar support. I

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the folded shirt showing the buttonhole engaging tab on the collar support being supported in the buttonhole of the neck-band.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the collar support after one of the wings thereof has been moved into collar supporting position, and showing the button tab being engaged with the button of the neck-band preparatory to moving the other wing of the support into collar supporting posi tion.

Fig. 5 is a section of the folded garment and the applied collar support on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, particularly illustrating the secure retention of the neck-band terminals.

Fig. 6 is a section through the collar portion of the garment and the applied collar support on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a plan View of a further modified form of the invention.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

designates a collar support constructed in accordance with the present invention and which is blanked from a sheet of flexible material such as cardboard, to provide a substantially arcuate shaped body portion 2 having wings 3 and 4. The arcuate outer edge 5 is shaped to substantially conform to the attaching portion of a neck-band with the sides of a shirt when the shirt is in folded condition, as later described. The opposite or inner edges 6 and I of the wings are shaped at the outer ends thereof to engage within the fold of the collar on opposite sides of the neck and the corners 8 and 9 are rounded to merge with the substantially parallel end edges Ill and H of the wings. The intermediate or central edge portion of the blank extends inwardly toward the edge 5 so that the width thereof substantially conforms to the width of the neck-band of the shirt at its fastening point.

The collar supporting portion thus described substantially conforms to that of a conventional collar support and is adapted to engage between the neck-band and the overlying portions of the collar, to support the collar in substantially its normal position and against crushing. However, in accordance with the present invention the blank is provided with tabs [3 and I4 'projecting from the opposite edges thereof to respectively engage the button and buttonhole of a neckband when the support is applied to the shirt.

The button hole tab I4 includes a neck portion i5 located intermediate the ends of the support and having substantially the width of the buttonhole in the collar band of a garment. The neck portion I5 of the tab terminates in a lateral hook-shaped extension I6 having a rounded terminal end I! to permit ready insertion through the buttonhole. The outer juncture of the lateral extension with the tongue is rounded, as at 18, to pass through the buttonhole when the tongue portion I4 is being brought into the buttonhole. Formed within the angle of the lateral extension I6 is a recess 20 adapted to engage one end of the buttonhole when the rounded terminal end I! is being moved through the opposite end of the buttonhole so as to avoid stretching thereof.

The recess 20 is spaced from the arcuate edge 5 a distance substantially conforming to that of the buttonhole spacing from the attaching point of the collar band with the shirt. The tab I4 is provided with a score line 2| in registering alignment with the arcuate edge 5 on which the tab is bent as later described.

The tab I3 projects from the opposite side edge and has its connecting portion 22 offset from the tab M in the direction of the wing 3 to leave an unattached lateral ear 23 spaced from the body portion of the support as at 24. The ear 23 has a slot 25 opening from the end thereof and which extends inwardly to terminate in a substantially circular opening 26 of sufiicient diameter to accommodate the attaching threads of the neck-band button. The forward edges of the slot are rounded as at 21 and 28 to facilitate entrance of the threads as later described. The tab I3 is of sufficient width to overlap the tab I4 and is scored as at 29 to provide a fold line along the edge of the body portion of the support.

Inapplying the support to a folded shirt 30, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the tab I4 is bent on the score line 2| and the hook terminal thereof is caused to pass through the buttonhole 3| of the neck-band 32. After the hook portion thereof has been passed through the button hole the support is turned at substantially right angles so that the neck portion l5 of the tab passes through the buttonhole with the hook portion l6 overlapping the back side of the collar band 32, as shown in Fig. 3. The wing 4 is then inserted under the collar 33 as shown in Fig. 4, whereupon the tab I3 is folded on the score line 29 and caused to enter between the hook portion of the tab I4 and the button terminal of the collar band in such a manner that the threads 34 securing the button 35 pass through the slot 25 and into the opening 26. In this position the tab l3 overlaps the hooked end of the tab l4 and looks it securely in position. The other wing 3 is then inserted under the opposite side of the collar, completing assembly as shown in Fig. 1. When the support is thus installed the button and buttonhole ends of the neck-band are anchored to the support and securely retained in overlapping relation with the buttonhole aligning with the button.

In Fig. 7 is shown a modified form of the invention wherein the buttonhole tab 36 is formed along the lower arcuate edge 3'! of the support by providing slots 38 and 39. The button engaging tab All substantially conforms to that in the preferred form, however, the button engaging slot 4| is located at substantially right angles to the one illustrated in the preferred form of the invention. In this form the tab 36 is projected downwardly through the buttonhole of the neck-band and the slot 41 is caused to move over the button from above rather than from the side, as shown in the preferred form.

The form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 8

is similar to that illustrated in Fig. '7, but the button engaging tab: 42 conforms to that illustrated in the preferred form of the invention.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a combination neck-band fastening means and collar support which is readily applied and which securely retains the collar of the garment in neat and orderly condition without making it necessary to use a separate fastening device for securing the collar band.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described including a collar support, a button engaging tab formed on the collar support for engaging the button of a collar band, and a button-hole engaging tab formed on the collar support and extending in the opposite direction from the button engaging tab to engage the button-hole of the collar band, one of said tabs being foldable over the other when the support is applied to a collar.

2. A device of the character described including a collar support, a button-hole engaging tab formed on the collar support to engage the button-hole of a collar band, and a button engaging tab projecting from one edge of the collar support and foldable over the button-hole engaging tab to engage the button of the collar band.

3. A device of the character described including a collar support, a button engaging tab projecting from one edge of the collar support for engaging the button of a collar band, and a button-hole engaging tab projecting from the opposite edge of the support for engaging the button-hole of the collar band, said tabs being foldable one over the other when the support is applied to a collar.

4. A device of the character described including a collar support, a hook-like tab formed on the collar support for engaging the button-hole of a collar band, and a button engaging tab formed on the collar support and foldable over the hook-like tab to engage the button of the collar band.

5. A collar support including a strip having wings for engaging under the folds of a collar a hook-like tab foldable on the strip for engaging in the button-hole of the collar band, and a tab foldable on the strip over the hook-like tab and having a slot for passing the fastening means which secures the button of the collar band.

6. In combination with a garment having an attached collar including a neck band provided with a button and button-hole at its terminal ends, a support for sustaining the collar in substantially its natural position, and button and button-hole engaging means formed on the support for connection with the button and insertion through the button-hole of the neck band to anchor said terminal ends to the support in unbuttoned condition.

ARCHIE 0. LONG. 

